1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for streaming digital communications. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for reducing data loss when streaming digital media information over radio frequencies to a moving receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sender transmitting a stream of digital media data via radio frequency transmitters can not be sure that the streaming media is actually received by a digital radio frequency receiver unless that receiver is also a transmitter, capable of sending an acknowledgement. An example of a receiver with this acknowledgement capability is a cell phone. However, many digital receivers do not have this acknowledgement capability, and therefore the sender is never sure that the media was actually received. Further, many digital receivers are portable and can be easily moved. These receivers can rove in and out of reception areas, frequently causing the transmitted signal to be sometimes available and sometimes not available.
An example of a commercial digital receiver that can be adversely affected by not having a continuous transmitted signal in its reception path is a satellite radio receiver. The digital radio frequency transmitter in a satellite radio system is typically a satellite, or satellites, with an antenna stationed approximately 23,000 miles overhead. The receiver in a satellite radio system is often in an automobile, or other mobile device, which is continuously moving during receiver operation. The roving receiver is constantly going under bridges, through tunnels, or into areas where a temporary loss of signal is unavoidable. This results in an annoying loss of radio reception that occurs periodically throughout the listening day.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that reduces the loss of digital information when streaming digital data is sent to a roving digital receiver.